China's Response To The West: A Documentary Survey, 1839-1923 is a volume of historical documents translated from the Chinese, edited and with an introduction by Teng Ssu-yu and John King Fairbank, with E-tu Zen Sun, Chaoying Fang, and others. It was published in 1954 by Harvard University Press and reprinted several times in paperback. The documents are primarily essays and official writings on policy issues, starting with a memorial to the throne by Lin Zexu, a Qing dynasty official at the time of the Opium Wars, and finishing with selections from the writings of Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen in 1923, just after the New Culture Movement and the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
The book was influential in spreading the "impact and response" analysis of China's modern history, that is, the idea that China's modern history could best be viewed as a series of responses to the impact of the West, and has been blamed for the widespread idea that China's modernity was not generated internally but had to wait for the impact of the West.
Both editors were trained by Chinese historians in China in the 1930s. John Fairbank was influenced by his Chinese academic supervisors, especially Tsiang Tingfu, a Columbia University trained Chinese historian. Teng Ssu-yu studied as an undergraduate at Yenching University, where he then taught for several years before coming to the United States in 1937.
The Introduction explains that the book is "a survey of one of the most interesting, but neglected aspects of modern history -- the way in which the scholar-official class of China, faced with the aggressive expansion of the modern West, tried to understand an alien civilization and take action to preserve their own culture and their political and social institutions"; its over-running by the West was "bound to create a continuing and violent intellectual revolution...." [1]
An accompanying Research Guide gave bibliographic references and research comments.[2]
Reception and changing viewsedit
The University of Washington historian Franz H. Michael recommended the book for understanding the Communist conquest of China not as a matter of post-war developments but "against the double background of world Communism and the modern history of China." China was vulnerable to Communist onslaught because of a transformation that began in the middle of the 19th century. This transformation led to an attack on her entire cultural system, which was dominated by the scholar-gentry elite that also dominated the political system. The reaction of this class to the Western impact, Michael continued, is the theme of the book. The book traces the stages of the reaction and a "natural chronology" through an "excellent selection" of the "most important documents of each period and each point of view", providing a "kaleidoscopic picture" of these developments. The volume does not directly pose the question, Michael continued, of why the Confucian tradition was "totally rejected". He wonders whether "the inner logic of its development had not brought the Confucian order to a point where a new beginning would have been necessary even without the destructive Western influence." [3]
The historian Paul A. Cohen, a student of Fairbank's, in his Discovering History in China, an influential critique of post-war American histories of China, devoted a chapter to the book and its influence, "The Problem with 'China's Response to the West'". [4] Cohen notes that Teng and Fairbank wrote that the terms "impact" and "response" were "not very precise," and "until we can work out a more precise analytic framework, the title of this study will remain more metaphorical than scientific." They call for caution in applying the "impact and response framework," but Cohen writes that later historians, including Fairbank himself, did not heed this warning.[5] Cohen sees several problems with the "impact-response" framework. One is that it ignores the "enigmatic and contradictory nature of the modern West," which is neither unified nor unchanging. Another is that "China" was equally diverse in its traditions and modes of response. [6]
The historian Foster Rhea Dulles judged the book to be "fascinating and highly important" and the first translation into a European language of "a body of material that casts a sharp and illuminating light on how representatives of China's scholar-official class" attempted to control China's response to Europe and the USA during the years from 1839 to 1923. [7]
Dulles, Foster Rhea (1955). "Review of China's Response to the West: A Documentary Survey, 1839–1923 by Ssu-yü Teng and John K. Fairbank". The American Historical Review. 60 (2): 372–373. doi:10.1086/ahr/60.2.372. ISSN 1937-5239.
Harrison, Henrietta (2017). "The Qianlong Emperor's Letter to George Iii and the Early Twentieth Century Origins of Ideas About Traditional China's Foreign Relations". American Historical Review. 122 (3): 680–701. doi:10.1093/ahr/122.3.680.
Michael, Franz (1956). "The Fall of China (Review article)". World Politics. 8 (2): 296–306. doi:10.2307/2008976. JSTOR 2008976. S2CID 155026330.
Têng, Ssu-yü; Fairbank, John King (1954). China's Response to the West: A Documentary Survey, 1839-1923. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; Institute of Pacific Relations. ISBN9780674120259.
Christian Hess, China's Response to the West UCSD Modern Chinese History (January 29, 2010)
December 20, 2023
china, response, west, book, china, response, west, documentary, survey, 1839, 1923, volume, historical, documents, translated, from, chinese, edited, with, introduction, teng, john, king, fairbank, with, chaoying, fang, others, published, 1954, harvard, unive. China s Response To The West A Documentary Survey 1839 1923 is a volume of historical documents translated from the Chinese edited and with an introduction by Teng Ssu yu and John King Fairbank with E tu Zen Sun Chaoying Fang and others It was published in 1954 by Harvard University Press and reprinted several times in paperback The documents are primarily essays and official writings on policy issues starting with a memorial to the throne by Lin Zexu a Qing dynasty official at the time of the Opium Wars and finishing with selections from the writings of Liang Qichao and Sun Yat sen in 1923 just after the New Culture Movement and the founding of the Chinese Communist Party The book was influential in spreading the impact and response analysis of China s modern history that is the idea that China s modern history could best be viewed as a series of responses to the impact of the West and has been blamed for the widespread idea that China s modernity was not generated internally but had to wait for the impact of the West Contents 1 Background 2 Reception and changing views 3 References 4 Notes 5 External linksBackground editBoth editors were trained by Chinese historians in China in the 1930s John Fairbank was influenced by his Chinese academic supervisors especially Tsiang Tingfu a Columbia University trained Chinese historian Teng Ssu yu studied as an undergraduate at Yenching University where he then taught for several years before coming to the United States in 1937 The Introduction explains that the book is a survey of one of the most interesting but neglected aspects of modern history the way in which the scholar official class of China faced with the aggressive expansion of the modern West tried to understand an alien civilization and take action to preserve their own culture and their political and social institutions its over running by the West was bound to create a continuing and violent intellectual revolution 1 An accompanying Research Guide gave bibliographic references and research comments 2 Reception and changing views editThe University of Washington historian Franz H Michael recommended the book for understanding the Communist conquest of China not as a matter of post war developments but against the double background of world Communism and the modern history of China China was vulnerable to Communist onslaught because of a transformation that began in the middle of the 19th century This transformation led to an attack on her entire cultural system which was dominated by the scholar gentry elite that also dominated the political system The reaction of this class to the Western impact Michael continued is the theme of the book The book traces the stages of the reaction and a natural chronology through an excellent selection of the most important documents of each period and each point of view providing a kaleidoscopic picture of these developments The volume does not directly pose the question Michael continued of why the Confucian tradition was totally rejected He wonders whether the inner logic of its development had not brought the Confucian order to a point where a new beginning would have been necessary even without the destructive Western influence 3 The historian Paul A Cohen a student of Fairbank s in his Discovering History in China an influential critique of post war American histories of China devoted a chapter to the book and its influence The Problem with China s Response to the West 4 Cohen notes that Teng and Fairbank wrote that the terms impact and response were not very precise and until we can work out a more precise analytic framework the title of this study will remain more metaphorical than scientific They call for caution in applying the impact and response framework but Cohen writes that later historians including Fairbank himself did not heed this warning 5 Cohen sees several problems with the impact response framework One is that it ignores the enigmatic and contradictory nature of the modern West which is neither unified nor unchanging Another is that China was equally diverse in its traditions and modes of response 6 The historian Foster Rhea Dulles judged the book to be fascinating and highly important and the first translation into a European language of a body of material that casts a sharp and illuminating light on how representatives of China s scholar official class attempted to control China s response to Europe and the USA during the years from 1839 to 1923 7 References editCohen Paul A 2010 Discovering History in China American Historical Writing on the Recent Chinese Past New York Columbia University Press ISBN 9780231151924 Dulles Foster Rhea 1955 Review of China s Response to the West A Documentary Survey 1839 1923 by Ssu yu Teng and John K Fairbank The American Historical Review 60 2 372 373 doi 10 1086 ahr 60 2 372 ISSN 1937 5239 Harrison Henrietta 2017 The Qianlong Emperor s Letter to George Iii and the Early Twentieth Century Origins of Ideas About Traditional China s Foreign Relations American Historical Review 122 3 680 701 doi 10 1093 ahr 122 3 680 Michael Franz 1956 The Fall of China Review article World Politics 8 2 296 306 doi 10 2307 2008976 JSTOR 2008976 S2CID 155026330 Teng Ssu yu Fairbank John King 1954 China s Response to the West A Documentary Survey 1839 1923 Cambridge MA Harvard University Press Institute of Pacific Relations ISBN 9780674120259 Wang Yi t ung 1955 Review Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 18 3 4 489 494 JSTOR 2718452 Notes edit TengFairbank 1954 p 1 Teng S Y amp Fairbank J K 1954 Research guide for China s Response to the West A Documentary Survey 1839 1923 Harvard University Press Michael 1956 p 296 299 Cohen 2010 p 9 Cohen 2010 p 200 n 6 Cohen 2010 p 12 16 Dulles 1955 External links editChristian Hess China s Response to the West UCSD Modern Chinese History January 29 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title China 27s Response to the West book amp oldid 1144667818, 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